Paleontology students learn about bones and other fossils, as well as the rock that contains them.
Paleontology combines knowledge of biology and geology. According to the University of Kansas, it is not possible to obtain an undergraduate degree in paleontology anywhere in the United States. Most graduate paleontology programs are housed in university geology departments, with additional coursework coming from other departments. In some programs students even craft their own degree.
University of Kansas
Paleontology students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence take classes in Geology as well as in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Additional classes in the school of Anthropology may also apply. Resources include the university's Natural History Museum, the Museum of Anthropology and the Paleological Institute. The Institute publishes several scientific journals in paleontological studies, including "PALAIOS," "Paleontological Contributions" and "Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology."
University of Wyoming
Vertebrate paleontology faculty at the University of Wyoming in Laramie hold joint appointments in the Geology and Geophysics department, as well as the department of Zoology and Physiology. Research areas include invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, as well as micropaleontology. The nearby Hannah Basin contains amber deposits that have been included in recent studies.
University of Texas
The paleontology program at the University of Texas at Austin is housed in the Jackson School of Geosciences. Research in the program explores the fossil record in an attempt to answer questions about evolution of species and the effects of widespread climate change. One of the main tools available to researchers is a high-resolution computer-aided tomography scanner that creates three-dimensional images of fossil vertebrates.
Columbia University
Paleontology is one of the disciplines of the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Paleontology occupies two main facilities: the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory several miles north of the main Columbia campus in New York City and the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan across the street from Central Park. Students may use the paleomagnetism laboratory at Lamont, as well as the isotope geochemistry laboratories. The museum has renowned fossil collections and biochemical laboratories for DNA sequencing.
University of Chicago
Doctoral paleontology students at the University of Chicago design their own dissertation research. In the university's Department of the Geophysical Sciences, they combine laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling with the results of work conducted in the field. Available courses include analytical paleobiology, biomechanics, macroevolution and evolutionary history of terrestrial ecosystems.
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